This invention relates to a method for separating polar liquids from non-polar liquids. In another aspect, this invention relates to a device for removing polar liquids from non-polar liquids.
In many processes, two or more liquids come into contact with one another. To recover products, recycle reactants or solvents, and the like, the liquids must be separated. Often this requires complex and costly equipment or several processing steps. One method commonly used is distillation. In certain embodiments, the liquids form an azeotrope wherein simple separation methods are inadequate to complete the separation.
Many liquids during use or storage become contaminated with water. The use of such contaminated liquids can result in serious problems, for example, the failure of the liquids to adequately perform their function, corrosion, poison catalysts, and the like. Liquid hydrocarbon fuels commonly pick up water in storage and transfer. The presence of water in such fuels can result in poor performance of engines, corrosion, plugging of fuel lines during periods of extreme cold, and the like. Liquids which are used as solvents very often come in contact with water. Failure to remove such water may reduce the efficacy of such solvents and cause corrosion to the materials with which they come in contact.
Presently, water is removed from liquids by several methods. In one method, the liquid and water are allowed to phase separate and the liquid is separated from the phase separated water by some mechanical means, for example, the use of an overflow discharge system. The problem with this means is that no water dissolved in the liquid is removed, and if such liquid is thereafter exposed to cooler temperatures, additional water may phase separate. Further, such entrained or dissolved water may cause corrosion problems and inhibit the performance of the liquid.
A second means of drying such liquids is by the use of water-adsorbing desiccant materials wherein the liquid is passed over or through such desiccant materials, so that such desiccant materials can remove the water. In many cases these adsorbing desiccant materials do not remove a substantial portion of the water dissolved or entrained in the liquid. Furthermore, such desiccants have a capacity limit and once the desiccant has adsorbed its capacity of water no more water is removed from the liquid. This requires the changing out, or regeneration, of such desiccants. Therefore, the drying process is non-continuous and the changing out or regeneration is time consuming, labor intensive, and costly.
What is needed is a method for separating a polar liquid from a non-polar liquid which is continuous and allows the separation of a polar liquid from a non-polar fluid wherein one component is entrained in or dissolved in the other, for example, wherein the water content is below the water saturation level. What is further needed is a process which does not involve components which require frequent changing out or regeneration.